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by Nina Larson with AFP Bureaus GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization insisted Monday that the AstraZeneca vaccine was still a vital tool in the global fight against the coronavirus pandemic, after South Africa delayed the start of its inoculation programme over concerns about its efficacy against a virus variant. “It is vastly too early to be dismissing this vaccine,” said Richard Hatchett, who heads the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which […]
by Jalees ANDRABI TAPOVAN, India (AFP) — Emergency workers in India on Monday raced against time to dig through mud and rocks choking a Himalayan tunnel after a devastating flash flood — thought to have been caused by a chunk of glacier breaking off — killed at least 26 people. More than 170 others were listed as missing after a wall of water and debris barrelled down a tight valley in India’s north early Sunday, […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Undocumented migrants in Britain will still be able to get Covid vaccines without being subject to status checks, the government said on Monday. Anyone in Britain can register with doctors and access free frontline medical care, regardless of their immigration status. Some data is shared with the interior ministry, which is responsible for border enforcement and investigating irregular immigration, including deporting those with no right to remain. However, […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — Pet cats and dogs with a fever, cough or breathing difficulties will be offered coronavirus tests if they have been exposed to carriers, the Seoul metropolitan government said Monday. The programme in the sprawling South Korean capital comes weeks after the country reported its first case of Covid-19 infection in an animal, involving a kitten. “Starting today, the Seoul metropolitan government will offer coronavirus tests for pet dogs and […]
by AFP Bureaus GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — South Africa suspended the start of its AstraZeneca inoculation programme over concerns the shot does not work on a new variant, with WHO experts due to meet Monday to discuss the vaccine already facing questions about its efficacy for over-65s. A trial showed the vaccine provides only “minimal” protection against mild to moderate Covid-19 caused by the variant first detected in South Africa, a setback to the global […]
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Health authorities in Toronto announced Sunday they had discovered the first two known cases of the Brazilian and South African variants of Covid-19 in Canada’s largest city. The patient suffering from the Brazilian variant has been hospitalized, Toronto Public Health (TPH) said in a statement. He had recently traveled from Brazil. The resident with the South African strain had no recent travel history and no known contact with any recently returned […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine fails to prevent mild and moderate cases of the South African coronavirus strain, according to research reported in the Financial Times. But in its study, due to be published Monday, the pharma group said it could still have an effect on severe disease — although there is not yet enough data to make a definitive judgement. None of the 2,000 participants in the trial developed serious […]
MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Madrid authorities on Friday confirmed the first case in the region of the Brazilian variant of coronavirus, which is feared to be particularly infectious, in the region. A 44-year-old man who arrived at Madrid’s airport on January 29 tested positive for the coronavirus and subsequent lab tests confirmed he had caught the new strain, the regional government of Madrid said in a statement. The case is the first report in […]
by Camille BAS-WOHLERT Agence France Presse Europe and pharma groups must work together to speed up Covid-19 vaccinations, the head of the European branch of the World Health Organization said Friday, expressing concern about the effectiveness of vaccines on virus variants. “We need to join up to speed up vaccinations,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview, as Europe bids to overcome a slow start to its vaccination campaign amid tensions […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s Oxford University said on Friday its researchers behind the joint AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine had found it to be effective against the UK virus variant now dominant across the country. The university, which developed the jab with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm, said an ongoing assessment of its effectiveness showed that it has “similar efficacy” to other coronavirus strains. “Data from our trials… in the United Kingdom indicate that the […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson on Thursday submitted an application for emergency authorization of its Covid-19 vaccine with US health authorities, the company said in a statement. The process could take several weeks, but at the end of it the vaccine would be the third authorized in the United States, after those of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. J&J subsidiary Janssen Biotech “has submitted an application to the US Food and […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea has requested Covid-19 vaccines and is expected to receive nearly two million doses, according to the Gavi vaccine alliance, part of the WHO-backed Covax programme, although the isolated country has insisted it is virus-free. It is the first official confirmation that the North has asked for international help, with the country’s medical infrastructure is seen as woefully inadequate for dealing with any large-scale outbreak. The Covax scheme, co-led […]
